Things that Help Me Get Through The Day One of the most important things you can do for yourself, especially as a mom, is incorporate some time each day to do something you enjoy. For me, those things are usually reading, listening to a podcast or music, or participating in one of my hobbies. I …

That Dreaded Task – Grocery Shopping I’ve never really enjoyed grocery shopping. I think what I dread the most is having to actually think about what I need to buy. It takes brain power to think about what we need, and what meals we can create with what we purchase. That’s brain power I would …

Ugh…it’s 4 pm. And it should be a happy time of day because my son will be getting off the bus soon. But at this time of day I feel dread, exhaustion and a little bit of anxiousness. Once my son gets off the bus, we have to empty out his backpack – so. many. …

My four year old son and I sat cuddled in his bed after finishing our 1,000th book. I signed my kids up for the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program at the library when they were young. We do a lot of reading before bed. I figured it would be fun to track the reading. Plus, …

Things that Help Me Get Through The Day One of the most important things you can do for yourself, especially as a mom, is incorporate some time each day to do something you enjoy. I find that if I don’t allow myself this time, I become really grumpy and a bit resentful of everything I …

Summer is just starting here in New York and my family already has a pretty packed calendar. Little day trips, small vacations, a few day camps, some family goals we are working towards. Stuff like that. But sprinkled in with all the vacation plans will be housework days, or days when I’m too tired to …

Approaching my kids bedtime is similar to approaching the last few hours on a job. I am tired and really don’t want to be working anymore, but I know once I get through bedtime, my job is over (metaphorically speaking). But sometimes bedtime can be a huge struggle. The kids are revved up and having …

You sit down on the couch after a long day of chasing kids, grocery shopping, and being a personal chef. You grab your phone and tap on Instagram. “I’ll just take a few minutes to decompress before heading to bed.” You tell yourself. Next thing you know, it’s 11 pm and you’re still scrolling. Frustration …

I don’t know about you, but how I start my morning is a good indicator of how the day will be. On a good morning, I have time to move through everything I need to do (feeling like I really got my stuff together ;-)), and there isn’t a lot of rushing or nagging to move the kids along. I feel more calm and productive, and my kids seem pretty happy.

I’ve always been a person who strives on structure, routine and predictability. In my 20’s if I didn’t have my weekend plans firmed up by Wednesday, I was in a panic. I have more energy and I feel more calm when I know what the next step is. Now that I have two young boys, …

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Hi! I’m Kristen, welcome to This Routine Life!

I am a wife and mom of two young boys. I couldn’t live in a world without books, podcasts, Bravo TV, coffee, cross-stitch, planners, and my sneakers. I hope to teach and inspire you to be intentional with your time by using routines and habits so that you can enjoy your day and your family.